The Street Kids
by Halawen
Summary: Clare finds herself homeless and on the streets of Toronto, how will she survive? Also starring Owen, Drew, Adam, Bianca, Fitz, Maya, Tris, Miles, Cam and Eli. EClare fans this one does have some EClare, for a bit anyway. 100% A/U, read the authors notes please. Short Story updated every month.
1. Welcome to the Streets

**Welcome to my new short story. Pay attention to the A/N's because this is all 100% A/U.**

**Legal ~ I own nothing but the idea.**

**Important crap to know about this story:**

**This is all 100% A/U, none of the kids ever went to DeGrassi, they are all from different parts of Toronto and a few are from other Canadian cities. **

**Katie does not exist in this story.**

**Clare's mother never married Glen and Clare has never seen Glen or Jake.**

**Miles is an only child in this story as is Alli.**

**Back stories will be revealed within this chapter for a few people and the others will be revealed in upcoming chapters.**

**Ch. 1 Welcome to the Streets**

**(CLARE)**

I never thought I'd end up here, never in a million years did I think I'd be one of the many homeless teenagers on Toronto's streets. I can still remember our beautiful home in Scarborough, my friends at the private school I went to, family dinners and being happy. Of course that was years ago, before my sister committed suicide without even leaving us a note to let us know why. She had only been fifteen, I knew something was wrong but Dad was always working, and Mom just pretended that nothing we were still the picture of family bliss and perfection. Then one morning I found that she'd slit her writs in the shower. Rather than deal with it or talk about it we moved from Scarborough to Kingston, and then six months after Darcy's death, and constant fighting between my parents my dad left. Just took off on day, took all his stuff without a note, phone call or anything. That was nearly four years ago and I haven't heard from him since.

Mom lost it after that, she started drinking, stopped working and began bringing home strange men, pretty much a new one every night. The drinking soon turned to drugs and it wasn't long before the men that she brought home began turning their eye to me. As puberty developed my body their tastes developed to me. One night, about three months ago, after mom had fallen asleep in a drugged and drunken stupor her man for the night tried to come in my room. Luckily for me he was too high to navigate a locked door. The next day I went and bought a padlock installing it inside my room to keep the men out. I could not leave Mom, she was the only family I had left and I didn't want to abandon her, although looking back on it I can see that she abandoned me long ago. Even with the padlock the men still tried and then about two weeks ago one took off the hinges to my door, I managed to get away and I ran but was soon picked up by the cops.

They didn't take me home after I told them my story but then I was put into foster care. The house seemed okay, there were four other girls in the house, all being fostered and the parents seemed nice, at least on the surface. I discovered though that the parents were strict and punishments were cruel, the oldest girl in the house Melanie had come from an even worse situation than mine and she took it out on everyone else. I woke up one night to her sitting on me and telling me I couldn't be prettier than her as she was cutting off my hair. My foster mom got it fixed and now it's super short but cute I guess. It was only a couple nights later that the second oldest girl hit me with a pan for cooking something wrong and my foster mom, who was standing right there, did nothing. I had to get out of there and so two nights ago I took off, stealing money from my foster parents to do so. I took a bus into Toronto and it was just pulling up, I had good memories of Toronto and anyway I didn't want the cops or my foster family to find me so I figured I'd stay close to Scarborough but far enough away that they wouldn't find me. I escaped with only a couple changes of clothes and the little bit of money I was able to steal.

From the bus station I began walking, I had no idea where I was going, or where I was sleeping tonight for that matter but first I needed something to eat. I only had to walk a few blocks before seeing a sign for a diner. I passed a drug store on the way and there was a whole group of kids hanging out in front of it, considering that a few were panhandling I surmised they were homeless as well but as I couldn't be sure I didn't say anything. Anyway a few looked menacing and I wasn't sure how this all worked, could I just approach them or was there some pecking order like a gang. Well I'll worry about it after I eat, I haven't eaten since yesterday and it's effecting my ability to think. I enter the diner and the hostess tells me to sit anywhere so I sit at the counter and pick up a menu.

"What'll it be Honey?" The waitress asks me.

"Umm a coke and a grilled cheese sandwich please," I order, not the most elaborate or satisfying but I don't know when or how I'll get more money and I need to make what I do have last.

The waitress tells me it'll be right out and grabs me my coke first. I sit sipping at it for a few seconds and then a boy sits down on the stool next to me. He's tall and thin but slightly muscular with buzzed hair and a grin that says he wants to do more than say hi.

"Hey I'm Chains," the boy says.

"You're parents named you Chains?" I question just as the waitress gives me my sandwich.

"No that's just what I go by, the guy on the other side of you is Beast," Chains tells me and I look behind me to see a very large boy sitting on the other side of me. "The one behind you is Ape Man," Chains says and I see another guy behind me and now I feel surrounded. I try to ignore them all and eat my sandwich but they aren't making it easy. "So what's a pretty little thing like you doing in her by yourself?" Chains asks picking up a strand of my hair and I flinch away from him.

"Just eating lunch," I reply stuffing a large bite in my mouth so I can get out of here and away from them.

"You new to the area?" Chains asks and I ignore him.

They don't say anything else and I finish my lunch handing my money and tip directly to waitress. They let me pass, I walk to the front door and I start to speed up but they grab me and pull me into the alley behind the diner.

"You know it's rude not to answer someone, after all I can help you. I can tell that you're new to the streets we can help you out. Show you where to sleep, how to get cash, and who to avoid," Chains tells me as I back up and try to get away from him but instead end up backed against the brick wall. "Of course we'll expect certain things from you in return," Chains grins running a finger over my face and I can feel tears in my eyes. My heart races, my breathing speeds up, I try to run but Beast and Ape Man pin my arms to the wall!

**(OWEN)**

We were sitting outside the drugstore; it's a good spot for the girls to panhandle. Maya is especially good at it since she looks so very young and never says anything. I was sitting nearby but a little separately keeping an eye on everyone, suddenly Maya gets up and follows a new girl into the diner. She's in there for a little while, I don't even notice when Maya comes out again but she suddenly runs over and pulls at my arm, she's got a really urgent look on her face and is pulling at me to come with her. I know someone must be in trouble and I hop up to follow her calling the guys to come with me. We follow Maya to the alley behind the diner where I see Chains and his goons crowded around something at the back of the alley.

"No get away from me," some female voice says in distress.

"HEY CHAINS BACK OFF NOW!" I yell at him.

Drew and Fitz run over to grab the goons while Dallas and I nab Chains pulling him away. It's that new girl they're bothering, guess Maya saw them follow new girl out.

"We were just welcoming the new chick," Ape Man argues.

"Yeah by trying rape her!" Adam growls at them, he comes over and stands by new girl, her sweater has been opened and her top pulled down a bit.

"Payment for showing her how things work around here," Chains replies.

"You know how things work around here, you bug one of mine and I break your face!" I bark at Chains.

"She ain't one of yours," Chains responds in a laughing sort of tone.

"She is now and now we kill you," I tell him.

I punch him in the face and then kick him while Dallas goes to help Drew with Beast. Fitz gets Ape Man down pretty quick, after a few kicks to the side Ape Man gets up and runs out of the alley. Beast follows after a minute when he's had enough from Drew and Dallas, Chains is last after I make sure he has enough bruises to keep out of sight a few days. The three of them stumble out of the alley and we all look at new girl, all of us are back here now and she looks at us nervously.

"Are you okay?" I question.

"Yeah, fine you got here just in time though, thanks for saving me, they would have raped me if you hadn't come so thanks," she mumbles somewhat frantically so I know she's shaken.

"Don't worry about it, you're new to the streets, these streets anyway," I state looking her over.

She's short, we've only got two girls and she's at least a couple inches shorter than both of them. She looks like she's maybe 15 or 16 and voluptuous, big bust and curves, the good sexy kind, I can see why Chains and his goons wanted her. Her auburn hair is super short but it's cute, she's also got these very bright blue eyes.

"New to all the streets, I'm Clare," she tells me.

"I'm Owen but no one goes by their real name out here it's safer that way. Everyone calls me Muscles, the one next to you is Adam but we call him Freckles. The one with the spiky hair there is Adam's older brother Drew but he goes by Spikes, like his hair. The other spiky haired one with the brown eyes is Fitz but we call him Bruiser. Next to him is Dallas also known as Lone Star. The two over there with platinum blonde hair, the boy is my little brother Tristan but he goes by Platinum because he bleaches his hair. Maya's is natural and we call her Mouse because she barely ever talks. That there is Cam but he goes by Puck since he likes hockey and next to him is Miles he's known as Dollar. The girl with all the hair is Bianca otherwise known as Raven. Now as for you, I think I'll call you…Trouble, since you seem to attract it," I inform her.

"Okay, anonymity is good," Clare says slowly.

"Come on you can come sit with us, you seem kind of shaken," I tell her waving for her to follow, Adam puts a hand on her back and she follows us.

The group of us walk back to the front of the drug store, sitting back in our spots, Bianca and Maya go back to panhandling, along with Tris, Cam and Miles because younger gets more cash. Clare sits down between me and Adam, taking her backpack from her back and gripping it tightly.

"So you a runaway or a throw-away?" Adam asks Clare.

"Throw-away?" Clare queries.

"Parents stop caring and kick you out, that's what happened to Mouse, Bruiser and Lone Star," Adam explains.

"Sort of both," she replies. "My mom lost it and stopped caring about me, I was put into foster care, the family was bad. The mom would lock us in a closet for being bad and the dad would whip us with a switch. They didn't really care what we did to each other either. The oldest girl chopped off all my hair one night telling me I couldn't be prettier than her. One of the other girls hit my arm with a pan for messing up lunch, my foster mom saw and did nothing," Clare kind of babbles in a nervous manner and then seems to realize this. "Well anyway I had to get out so I ran last night," she sums up.

"Yeah Drew and I ran from a bad foster family too. Our parents died in a car crash and no one else in our family would take us both, we wouldn't leave each other so we got put in the system. Then we got bounced from house to house for about six months before we got fed up and just bolted. We met up with Muscles and Platinum a couple of years ago, been with them ever since," Adam tells her and she looks at me waiting for my story.

"Our mom took off after Tris was born; Dad told me later on she had postpartum depression. When I was thirteen and Tris was ten Dad just suddenly dropped dead of a brain tumor we didn't even know he had. We were sent to live with Dad's brother, a bastard alcoholic who would beat the crap out of both of us. I tried to take all the beatings but sometimes he'd knock me unconscious and start in on Tris so one day I took my brother and we got away. Been out here almost four years now, we do pretty good and all of us are like a family, we look out for each other and I make sure everyone stays safe, with some help from Bruiser, Spikes, Lone Star and even Puck," I tell her and she bites her lip looking kind of sad and nervous. "Hey don't worry you're one of us now, part of our family I'll keep you safe just stick with us."

She smiles now, she's got a nice smile and I smile back. Adam tells her how things work out here, shelters, panhandling and people to stay away from like Chains and his goons. I grab us all some fries and drinks around four because we probably won't eat again today. Adam's still talking to Clare when a dark sedan pulls up and a gross looking guy in his forties gives Bianca a whistle.

"How much honey?" The guy asks thinking she's a hooker so I stand up and walk to the car leaning in the window.

"Get lost before I smash your teeth in, no hookers in this group," I inform him, I straighten up and he drives off. "Come on it's getting dark we better get in and claim our beds," I command and everyone stands up.

**(CLARE)**

It's not even dark, only dusk but Owen tells us we need to go claim beds so we all get up. We walk a few blocks and get to this abandoned apartment building, it's two stories and small, there was maybe twenty apartments. When we go inside I see that there are several missing walls but it's got all the exterior walls and a roof. There are a few other homeless kids in here but they just wave to Owen and give me a quick look over because I'm new I guess. I follow them upstairs and Owen looks in a bunch of rooms while the rest of us wait in the hall.

"Alright we got seven grouped here, Trouble you can take the single on the end there," he tells me.

"Umm I…don't…" I hesitate to tell him I'm too afraid to sleep alone.

"Don't want to sleep alone on your first night?" Owen asks and I nod.

"She can sleep with me," Adam offers.

"Okay Trouble and Freckles take the queen bed in the center there. I'll sleep on one side, Bruiser you sleep on the other. Raven and Spikes take the queen across the hall," Owen says and it occurs to me that they must be a couple. "Platinum and Mouse take the room on the other side of me. Dollar and Puck take the one with two doubles on the left of Raven and Spikes room, so Lone Star you take the room on the other side of them."

Adam takes my arm and pulls me into the room that was chosen for us. There's a queen bed and a couple of blankets, it doesn't exactly look clean but it's somewhere to sleep.

"You should sleep in your clothes, lots of kids sleep here and nothing is clean," Adam tells me.

"Do you sleep here every night?" I question setting my backpack down.

"Most nights yeah, I know it's kind of gross but it beats sleeping outside especially in the winter. Reverend Baker has a church in Riverdale, there's beds and a couple of rooms there, sometimes we sleep there but we aren't often in Riverdale and you have to get there real early 'cause the beds get filled up quickly. It's not so bad here really, no one will bug you if they know you're with Muscles and I promise I won't touch you, we'll just sleep back to back," Adam informs me.

"I trust you Adam," I smile.

I set down my backpack and take off my shoes but I leave my clothes on like Adam recommended. He lies on his back and I turn on my side facing him, Adam is sweet, he has a kind smile and calming presence. Adam seems to know that I can't fall asleep because he starts talking, about all kinds of things and I fall asleep to his soothing voice. I wake up super early the next morning after a nightmare, Adam is still asleep and I don't want to wake him so I get up slowly. It looks to be just after dawn but at least the sun is up. Going downstairs I find that this building has a courtyard out back, it's over grown now along the sides but the center is a brick patio with a couple benches, most of which is visible and not overgrown. I slide open the back door and sit on a bench, it's actually quite peaceful out here and I think I'm alone until someone moves.

"Oh hi, I didn't know anyone else was out here," I say almost apologetically to the boy.

He's thin, with longish black hair and piercing green eyes. He's dressed all in black and he's smoking a cigarette, which he flicks down and puts out when he sees me.

"I never mind the company of a beautiful girl," the boy smirks making me blush, then he walks over to me and looks at me closer. "So pretty eyes what do they call you?"

"Clare," I tell him my real name and then remember that's not my name, "no umm Trouble, Owen…I mean Muscles named me Trouble," I tell him quickly.

"I'm going to love getting in trouble," the boy smirks and it takes me a second to realize that was quite the sexual innuendo and I blush. "I'm Eli but everyone calls me Gloom since I have penitent for black clothing," he smirks and I bite my lip.

"TROUBLE WHERE ARE YOU?" I hear Owen calling for me.

"I'm here, just out back," I holler loud enough that he can hear but without looking away from Eli.

"There you are, I was right you are trouble, hey Gloom," Owen remarks putting a hand on my shoulder and nodding to Eli. "C'mon Trouble we're going to get breakfast," Owen says directing me back in the house.

"Where was she?" Fitz asks when we're inside.

"Outside talking with Gloom," Owen tells him.

"Better get your stuff, it isn't safe to leave it out, never know who'll come in the house, everyone knows about this place," Lone Star comments.

"Bruiser go with her," Owen commands and he does.

"We'll go by the bus station after breakfast and you can stash your stuff in a locker. It's the cheapest, safest way to keep your stuff, we all do it," Fitz tells me as we go back to the room Adam and I slept in last night.

I grab my backpack which Fitz then offers to carry and then our whole group leaves the apartment building, we walk back to the diner where I ate lunch yesterday. Owen orders five pancake short stacks and then coffee for everyone. That gives us 25 pancakes to divide up amongst us and it's the cheapest thing on the menu. I eat one pancake and get pretty full, I'm not sure anyone got entirely full but at least we have food in our belly. After breakfast we walk back to the bus station I arrived at yesterday, Dallas shows me how to get a locker and I stuff my backpack in it.

"They also have showers here; we come here or go to the Baker's church every few days to shower and change," Dallas informs me.

When we leave the bus station we walk a couple blocks to a park, it has grass, benches and a skate board area, which explains why Adam, Miles and Cam have skateboards. They go to skate, Tris starts panhandling and the rest of us sit on the grass. Maya is watching Miles and Cam with so much interest I know she must like one of them.

"Who's the fresh meat?" An Indian girl asks walking up with a thin girl with more black curls than Bianca.

"Be nice Bengal," Dallas says.

"I'm always nice you know that Lone Star," Bengal replies sitting on one side of me and the other girl sits next to her. "Hi I'm Alli but I go by Bengal, and this Tori but she goes by Tiara. So you got a name yet?" Alli asks me.

"Yeah Muscles gave me the name of Trouble but my real name is Clare," I reply.

"You know you got a nice body trouble, you ought to come with us we make much better money than panhandling," Bengal tells me.

"Get lost you two, Trouble's one of mine and none of mine hook," Owen tells them in a firm voice.

"Think about it Trouble," Alli says but they leave.

"They're prostitutes?" I question.

"Yeah, I used to be too," Bianca informs me. "They are right you can earn a lot of money but it's dangerous too. I was only hooking a couple of months and got beat up really bad by a John. Bruiser found me and brought me to the apartments we usually sleep in, where we all slept last night. Muscles and the others took care of me and I became one of them and stopped hooking. That was over a year ago, been dating Spikes since then," Bianca smiles and kisses Drew.

"No hooking and no drugs, those are my only rules," Owen tells me.

I could never hook and I don't want to do drugs so these rules are just fine by me. Miles and Cam seem to be competing for Maya's attention as they keep calling for her to watch them. After a while Tris comes back to give Owen his panhandling money and then Maya goes to panhandle. Since she's no longer watching them Miles and Cam get bored with skateboarding and go to panhandle with Maya. Adam keeps skateboarding for a while and then comes back to join us, he takes me with him to panhandle as I've never done it before. Adam tells everyone who passes him a story about needing to get home for his grandmother's funeral while I just look pathetic and ask for spare change. Adam makes more money than me, guess I need a story. After a while we return to the rest of our group, I almost sit down but then I see Eli approaching, wearing the same sexy smirk that he was this morning.

"Hey Trouble, I'll buy you lunch," Eli offers, at the mention of food my stomach growls and I look at Owen.

"You can go if you want just be careful, you got a cell phone?" Owen asks and I shake my head. He reaches into his pocket pulling out a cell then hands it to me. "Take mine so we can get a hold of you. Gloom she's new to the streets be good to her," Owen warns him.

"Relax Muscles it's just lunch," Eli smirks.

He offers me his arm and I link my arm with his, looking back to smile at Owen as we start walking. We go back to the same diner; it looks like 90% of their patronage is vagrants and people getting off the bus. Eli tells me I can order anything I want no matter how expensive and I'm starving. I get spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread and salad, with a coke again. Eli gets a hamburger, French fries and a milkshake.

"You know you don't have to sleep in that apartment building, there's a motel down the block, it's not fancy but the sheets are clean and there's hot showers. The beds are way more comfortable than those lumpy mattresses in the apartments and there's locks on the doors so people can't just come in and take your stuff. You can rent a room by the week," Eli tells me after our food is brought.

"Sounds great but I can't afford that, I don't have that much money left and I only made about $10 while panhandling," I inform him.

"You can stay with me, I rent a room almost every week, gonna rent one tonight for the week. You're welcome to stay with me any time," Eli says with a smile while stroking my face.

"Thanks, I might take you up on that," I reply. I like Eli and I'm attracted to him, he seems like a good guy but I don't know him that well. "So how can you afford to rent a room?" I inquire to make conversation.

"I hook," he replies and I drop my meatball back in the spaghetti. "Don't worry I'm clean, I use condoms every time and I won't do everything. I get tested at the free clinic every few months," Eli informs me nonchalantly.

"So you're a male prostitute? Bianca…I mean Raven told me that was dangerous," I comment eating the last of my salad.

"Yeah it can be mostly for girls though, women are less violent and demanding plus they pay better. The Johns that the girls service are all horny old men, well mostly and they usually have some violent tendencies," Eli replies.

"So do you ever…with guys?" I ask with some hesitation.

"Yeah but I charge more, but like I said I won't do everything," he shrugs.

I decide to drop the subject and Eli tells me he ran away from home after his girlfriend was killed in a car accident. He says he just couldn't deal with everything and he had to get out. We talk and eat slowly I don't know why but I really am attracted to Eli and I want to spend more time with him but after about an hour my phone, or rather Owen's phone rings.

"Hello?" I answer cautiously.

"It's me where are you?" Owen asks.

"At the diner still," I reply.

"Alright stay there we're on our way," Owen says and hangs up.

"Muscles and the others are coming to get me," I tell Eli.

He pays for our lunch with cash, then we go out front and wait for Owen and the others. Eli leans against the building with his arm around me.

"Here got you your own phone," Owen informs me handing me a disposable phone.

"Thanks, you didn't need to do that," I reply handing him back his phone.

"Yeah I did we need to be able to find you," Owen replies.

"I already activated it and put in all of our numbers," Adam speaks up.

"Thank you Freckles," I smile looking at my new phone until Eli takes it from me and starts punching in numbers.

"There you go, now you have my number too," Eli says giving me back my phone and then kisses my cheek. "I'll text you my room number in case you want sleep over," Eli remarks, then smirks at the others and walks off.

"Be careful with that one Trouble," Owen tells me as I watch Eli walk off and bite my lip. "Come on we're going to the mall it's great for begging and sometimes getting a free meal."

Owen puts a hand on my shoulder and Bruiser gets on the other side of me. Our group starts walking and I begin to think I might be able to survive this life on the streets, with the help of Owen and my new friends.

**Update Friday April 11****th**** from around here, including some more of Cam and Miles competing for Maya and a couple more backstories including how Miles ended up on the streets.**


	2. The Neon God

**Welcome to chapter 2 everybody; in case you forgot everyone's nicknames from last chapter here they are for quick reference:**

**Owen ~ Muscles **

**Tris ~ Platinum**

**Dallas ~ Lone Star **

**Maya ~ Mouse**

**Drew ~ Spikes B**

**ianca ~ Raven**

**Adam ~ Freckles **

**Clare ~ Trouble**

**Fitz ~ Bruiser **

**Miles ~ Dollar**

**Cam ~ Puck **

**Eli ~ Gloom**

**Ch. 2 The Neon God**

**(OWEN)**

"Near the food court is the best place but keep your eye out for mall security, they'll toss you out for pretty much any reason," I tell Clare when we get to the mall.

"You gotta know how to pick your mark, look real presentable for the ancient ones, Grandma and Grandpa types. Tell them you lost your purse with your money and phone and you need bus fare home. You can use the same story on Mom's with kids but not single business women. For guys, pretty much all of them, just show them a little cleavage," Bianca says pulling Clare's top down a little so that her cleavage is showing.

"Really Raven? They're going to think she's soliciting," I comment.

"What? Show more boobs, get more dough, everyone knows that," Bianca shrugs, "anyway we'll all be close by if something happens."

Bianca gives Clare a few more tips on panhandling and then Clare tries it on her own. She starts with a little old couple; she covers her cleavage again and zips up her hoodie. She does just like Bianca told her and tells the old couple she needs bus fare home. They give her a few coins and she smiles tucking them in her pocket. Adam and Tris break off to other parts of the mall to start begging too. Most of us are keeping a close eye on Clare since she's new at this but as always I'm aware of where everyone else is and making sure they're all safe.

"Hey Mouse," Cam says and I look over at him, "you want to sit in the food court with me?"

Sitting at a table at looking young and pathetic often scores the younger kids money or free food. Maya nods, Cam puts a hand on her back, they start walking to a table and Miles follows them.

"Bet I get better food than you," Miles says.

The three of them sit at a table and start begging to the passing moms with kids. Well Miles and Cam are begging but they're also competing again for Maya's attention. Every time one of them gets money or food they look back at Maya. She just sits at the table looking sad and hungry; several of the moms and grandmas take pity on her and give her money or food. We're there about an hour before mall security catches on and I see them coming so I whistle for everyone.

"Let's go," I order and they all follow me, all but Adam who must have wandered farther into the mall. "Spikes, text your brother and tell him to meet us," I tell Drew and he nods getting out his phone.

Adam catches up with us and we walk back to the drug store, sitting in our usual spot. Clare sits next to me and Fitz sits right next to her, we have a couple cardboard signs in baseball hats asking for money but we don't ask every person that walks by, gotta pick your targets.

"If we get enough money I'll take you for a nice dinner Mouse," Cam tells her.

"A good dinner to you is a burger at the diner," Miles disputes, "you should try authentic French food. I'll take you to Paris one day. You'd love it Maya, there's art everywhere and amazing architecture, you can see way beyond the city if you go to the top of the Eiffel tower."

"They both really like her, it's cute how they compete for her," Clare comments.

"Yeah it's been going on a while, they both joined us around the same time and they both started vying for her attention at the same time," Adam tells Clare.

"Mouse watch me," Cam says getting up and showing off by doing a handstand back flip off a car.

"She really never says anything does she?" Clare questions when Maya just smiles at the stunt.

"She can speak, she ain't mute or nothin' she just don't like to talk," Fitz tells her.

"She will when she has to but she has to trust you first usually. Her Dad was verbally abusive and she just sort of stopped talking. At least that's what she told me," I inform Clare as Miles starts showing off too.

"Has Dollar really been to Paris?" Clare asks.

"Yeah probably," I respond just as Cam takes a flying leap over the hood of some car into the street and very nearly gets run over. "HEY YOU FUCKING IDIOTS STOP DICKING AROUND BEFORE ONE OF YOU GETS KILLED!" I yell at them and they come sit down again. "Dollar's dad used to be a real big wig; owned some big shot business. Until his mom got sick with cancer and she passed away, his dad stopped going to work and an accountant at his company embezzled millions. The company went bankrupt without Miles' dad even noticing. Miles came home from school one day and found the house foreclosed on and his dad gone. He hit the streets and found us," I enlighten Clare.

"And Gloom? What's his story?" She questions.

"Don't know you'd have to ask him, Gloom ain't one of mine," I reply.

"You don't like him," Clare observes.

"I don't have anything in particular against the guy he's just…cocky, can be kind of a jerk sometimes, plays by his own rules. And I don't approve of hooking, it's dangerous, even if you never catch an STI," I reply and hear Clare's stomach grumble.

"Hey let's get some dinner," I call to everyone and we all stand up.

Drew and Dallas gather the hats and we sit in a booth, I pool the money and order for everyone. When she's almost done eating Clare's phone beeps.

"It's Gloom with his room number," she says.

"You want to sleep there?" I ask her finishing my food.

"It's worth looking at right? I mean the apartments are better than outdoors but I want to see the motel," she says a little nervously.

"It's cool I'll walk you there," I tell her putting the money on the table. "Lone Star settle the bill then you guys head to the apartments and get beds for the night. I'll meet you there after I take Trouble to Gloom."

Clare gets out of the booth with me, I tell her to watch herself and call for anything as we walk to the motel. She promises she will and I tell her if she calls me and I don't answer by the second ring then she should call Drew, Fitz and Dallas, in that order. She tells me she will just as we reach the motel and I ask her what room number Gloom has.

"Twelve," she says so I walk down there.

"Meet us at the diner tomorrow morning," I tell her and she nods. I knock on the door so that Gloom knows I dropped her off and he knows I know which room is his.

"Hey Muscles," he smirks when he sees me then he offers his hand to Clare, she takes it and goes into his room.

"She's meeting us at the diner in the morning, if she's not there by ten I'll be here for her," I inform him.

"What's wrong Muscles don't trust me? Relax I'll get her there," Gloom says.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Clare smiles.

I smile at her and turn around walking to the apartments, everyone is in when I get there, Maya is in the lobby watching Miles and Cam show off again. Drew and the others are out back so I go out and join them.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to leave Trouble with a freak like Gloom?" Bianca questions.

"She'll meet us at the diner in the morning and she knows to call me if anything happens. I don't really like the guy but he's not Chains and those goons. Anyway if I tell her to stay away it will just make him more intriguing to her and she'll go right to him. Warning her that she needs to be careful around him keeps that idea in her head that he's not to be trusted," I tell her.

We stay up for a while talking and hanging out but move up to the rooms before too long to make sure no one else tries to take our beds. I actually expect Clare to call but she never does, I wake up early and grab my backpack going downstairs to wait for the others. It takes about an hour for everyone else to wake up. Almost everyone is down by 9, only Maya and my brother are still asleep so I go wake them up.

"Come let's go meet Clare at the diner," I announce shaking my brother awake.

"Do we have enough money to get breakfast?" Tris groans.

"Yeah we'll get some breakfast but you have to get up." I point out.

They both get up and grab their backpacks, gathering the others downstairs we head to the diner and Clare is waiting there with Gloom. He sees us, smirks, kisses her cheek and walks off.

"Morning," she smiles.

"You alright?" I ask her.

"Yeah the motel was a lot warmer than the apartments, Gloom is nice. I found out his story," she tells us as we go in and sit down at a booth.

"So what's his story?" Adam questions.

"His longtime girlfriend got hit by a car after they had a fight, she died and he couldn't deal so his parents kicked him out," she explains.

"You going back there tonight?" I inquire.

"I…I don't know, he wants me to be his girlfriend," she tells us, I feel Fitz tensing beside me and Dallas looks a little disappointed.

"Are you going to?" Tris queries.

"I don't know, I don't know him that well and I…I don't know that I'll be as safe with him as I would with you guys. He's on the street a lot to hook and that would mean I'm on my own a lot," she says nervously and looks at me.

"You're one of mine weather you date Gloom or not," I assure her and she smiles.

Adam adds up all our cash, I order shortcake stacks and coffee for everyone, it isn't much and it'll have to get us through the day but we won't starve. After breakfast we go to the park, Clare lays on the grass in the sun and falls asleep, meaning she probably didn't get much last night. Tris and Maya go to one side of the park to panhandle pretending to be brother and sister, Bianca goes to the other side, Drew follows her of course to keep an eye on her. The rest of us are watching Maya and Tris, well except for Adam who's skateboarding. Clare sleeps for about two hours, wakes up suddenly and looks around like she thinks we would have left her.

"Didn't get much sleep last night?" I inquire.

"We were up late talking," she responds and looks around, "I'm going to go panhandle near Bianca," she says.

"Lone Star, Bruiser go keep an eye on her," I order and they get up following her to the other side of the park.

We stay in the park for most of the day but it starts to rain in the late afternoon so we pack up and head back to the apartments, swinging by the bus station to get our backpacks and dry clothes. Everyone's soaked, there's a few blankets in the house but they're all dirty and it's not like we can just toss our clothes in the dryer.

"Everyone change into dry clothes before you get sick," I order.

Bianca takes Clare and Maya into a room so the girls can change together, the rest of us change in separate rooms. Most of us hang the wet clothes anywhere we can that's dry and clean. Just about everyone that regularly sleeps here shows up and we all hang out in the lobby, for warmth mostly. When it starts to get dark Eli shows up, looking for Clare.

"So, you think about what I said?" Eli asks.

"Yeah," she nods and bites her lip looking back at me for a second, "I'll be your girlfriend," she says but very quietly like she's not quite sure she wants to or she's embarrassed.

Eli smirks and puts his arm around her, "Good, I got you a key to the room because I thought you'd say that. I'll get us a cab, take you to the room it's raining so business is slow tonight," Eli comments.

"Meet us at the diner in the morning," I tell her and she nods.

"Don't worry Muscles I'll take care of her, I'll even spring for a cab back to the motel," Eli smirks tightening his arm around Clare and they start walking to the door.

"Hey Trouble," I call to Clare and she looks back at me, "remember to call if you need to."

She smiles and nods then they go through the door. I decide the rest of us should go claim bedrooms so I whistle and everyone follows me upstairs.

**(CLARE)**

"I'll see you at the motel later, I got us the same room," Eli tells me when he drops me at the diner to meet the others.

"Okay see you tonight," I reply.

I've been on the streets for two weeks now and was settling into this new life pretty well thanks to Owen and the others. I've also been Eli's girlfriend for pretty much that whole time. I liked sleeping in the motel, I even liked Eli but he could be scary too. He always came back to the motel super late and after…whatever it was that he did with the people that picked him up; he would come to the room and want to have sex. I didn't come to the streets a virgin but I'd only had sex a couple of times with the only other boyfriend I've ever had. Eli liked it rough, quite rough and I had bruises, all of them from the sex, Eli didn't beat me, he just…got carried away when he was in the mood I guess. I didn't tell Owen about the bruises, I didn't think there was any need to, but I did feel the need to hide them.

"I'll go to the drug store later you want anything?" Eli questions.

"Toothpaste," I tell him, he smirks and kisses me hard before walking off. He's going back to the motel to get some more sleep, the only reason he even gets up so early is to get me to the diner by ten so that Owen doesn't come looking for me.

"Hey Clare," Fitz smiles when I enter the diner.

"Hi," I grin.

I sit down and Owen gets us all breakfast, we go to the park after and I fall asleep using Adam's lap as a pillow. Adam has become my best friend, I found out he's trans but I still just see him as a guy. I always nap in the park, it's hard to get to sleep in the motel by myself and if I do get to sleep Eli always wakes me up around four in the morning when he gets back to the room. While I'm asleep I dream about being a little girl again, living in a nice house with my mom, dad and sister. Of course when I wake up I'm in the park with a bunch of homeless teens, I have no house and I have no family anymore. I sit up and Adam smiles at me, I yawn and fix my hair looking around for the others. Tris is panhandling at one of the park, Owen is close by to keep an eye on him. Bianca's at the other with Drew nearby.

"Enjoy your nap?" Adam questions.

"Yeah it was nice," I nod sitting up and bringing my knees to my chest. "Should we be helping with the panhandling?"

"Nah they got it covered," Adam shakes his head.

"Hey Mouse watch this," Miles calls to her and then does a walking handstand.

She smiles and claps so of course Cam has to show Miles up and does a black flip. She claps for Cam and the boys keep showing off by doing stunts. Then Cam jumps out of a tree landing on Miles and their showing off turns into a fist fight when Miles accuses him of doing it on purpose. They start throwing punches and yelling at each other, Maya looks worried but Cam and Miles only get angrier at the other.

"HEY BREAK IT UP!" Owen yells at them. Owen and Dallas pull the two of them apart and keep them from fighting any more. "Both of you go take a walk and cool down, when you're cooled off go back to the apartments and wait for us," Owen tells them both. The boys snarl at each other and walk off in opposite directions. "Let's go to the drug store," Owen says when Cam and Miles have walked off.

He whistles for Drew and Bianca and they come over, we all walk to the drugstore in one group and sit down. Spending the rest of the afternoon there, a few people walking by drop coins in the begging hats. After a while I get tired of sitting and get up to start begging on my own. Most people just sort of look past you, if you sound too pathetic people just seem to be rude, like they know you're faking. There's a sort of balance, you have to be nice, have just enough of a pathetic tone and story to earn their pity but not too much. You also have to know who to beg from, men almost always give me a $1 coin or a $2 coin; a couple even gave me $5 bill. Old women or couples will give me spare change; moms give me $2 coins, sometimes paper money and usually advice or an offer for help. I give all the money to Owen cause he keeps track of all the money and buys all the food and everything. He gives me back a $5 telling me to hang onto it in case I need it for something. We eat in the diner like always and I'm used to having two meals a day now, two pretty small meals but we don't starve. We head to the apartments before it gets dark, I have a key to the room so I can walk there later, and the motel is only a couple blocks from the apartments. When we walk into the apartments we see Miles but not Cam.

"Where's Puck?" Owen questions.

"Don't know I got here a couple hours ago haven't seen him," Miles replies.

"He's probably still walking around you know how hot-headed he is," Dallas says.

"Dollar you eat?" Owen asks.

"No," he shakes his head.

"Bruiser go to the drugstore and get something for Dollar to eat and Puck when he gets back," Owen instructs giving Fitz some money.

"I'll go with you, I think I'll head to the motel now," I speak up.

"Take her all the way to the motel first and then swing by the drug store," Owen commands and Fitz nods.

"Is Gloom treating you okay?" Fitz questions after we've been walking a short way.

"Yeah," I reply nervously rubbing a bruise on my arm, under my sleeve, that he gave me last night while we were having sex.

Fitz gives me a look like he doesn't really believe me but he doesn't say anything. It's dusk and the neon sign at the motel is visible even though we're a block away. Like a beacon calling me home for the night, a neon pinnacle culling the despondent, destitute and hopeless under its light blue glow.

Fitz walks me to my room and waits until I have the door open, "We'll see you at the diner tomorrow, be safe."

I watch Fitz walk away and then lock the deadbolt; I can't lock the chain though because Eli won't be able to get in if I do. I take a long hot shower which feels nice, then put on one of Eli's shirts and a pair of his boxers to wash my clothes. I only have a couple changes of clothes and this is the first time they've been washed since I've been on the street. It's a little nerve wracking being our here in the dark alone, lots of other homeless teenagers stay here as well as pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers and anyone else that can't afford any better than this place. I've learned to not look anyone directly in the eye and if someone looks like they might cause trouble then stand tall. If they make a comment then make one back, no one respects meek out here, you can't be meek, you have to be strong or you'll be dead, Owen taught me that. I get my clothes in the wash and go back to the room, after 45 minutes I put it in the dryer and I watch TV while I'm waiting. I don't really like being in the motel room alone but I do like sleeping here better than the apartments. TV is the only thing that passes the time and the motel only gets about ten channels but it's better than sitting in silence. After getting my clothes from the dryer I fall asleep to the TV, waking up when Eli comes in the room.

"Hey Trouble," Eli smirks walking into the room.

I rollover and look at the clock, it's nearly five in the morning and I'm exhausted but he gets in bed and starts kissing my neck. His hands grip my shirt pulling it over my head and just like every night he gets us both naked, gets out a condom and we're soon having sex. I just lay there, letting him do it, it hurts more than anything. It's always like this though, the pain isn't that bad and usually goes away by morning, but suddenly Eli stops and reaches for the nightstand. Then I hear a clicking sound and see something metallic and shiny reflecting the flashing neon motel sign.

"Eli what are you doing?" I inquire feeling my pulse start to race.

"I want to taste you," he replies.

"What does that m…" I gasp when grabs my wrist and presses the blade into it and drags it down cutting my skin and drawing blood.

Then he licks my wrist, lapping up the blood, for some sick reason he enjoys all this. He speeds up and climaxes just a few minutes later. Then, just like every night, he falls asleep almost immediately after sex while I get up and go into the washroom as I can feel my wrist still bleeding. He didn't cut across or vertically instead he cut diagonally but he opened the vein, not bad enough that I'll bleed out but I'll bleed for a while. I take the washcloth and hold it on my wrist; going back to bed I turn on the TV again while I sit there and try to stop the bleeding. Eli groans but doesn't really wake up. The white washcloth is nearly all crimson by the time I get it to stop bleeding and I never get back to sleep. Eli wakes up when the alarm goes off at nine, rolling over at blinking at me.

"You're up early," he yawns.

"I never went back to sleep, you hurt me last night, more than usual," I tell him.

"I'm sorry Baby, next time I'll cut right here," he says tracing a line along my breast.

"Next time?" I question as my voice gets tight.

"You better get dressed so we can get you to the diner," Eli replies getting out of bed.

I get up and get dressed, grab my backpack and we walk down to the diner. I see everyone else in there waiting for me, Eli kisses me goodbye and I go inside.

"You look a little pale, you feeling okay?" Dallas asks when I sit down.

"Yeah fine," I reply and look around the table, "where's Puck?"

"We don't know, he never did come to the apartments last night," Owen replies and he sounds worried.

We eat breakfast and go out to the park as usual; Dallas, Fitz, Drew and Bianca say there're going to look for Cam. Owen tells them all to check in an hour before they go. I lie on the grass, using Adam's lap as a pillow and start to get comfortable when Adam suddenly grabs my hand pulling down the sleeve and exposing the cut.

"Trouble what did you do?!" Adam exclaims.

"What?" Owen asks while I sit up.

"It's fine," I reply after Owen gets up to look at my wrist.

"Fine?! It looks like you tried to commit suicide," Owen comments with both anger and worry in his voice.

"I didn't," I tell them.

"Then how'd you get your wrist cut?" Tris questions and I bite my lip.

"It was Gloom wasn't it? That fucking prick I'm going to kill him! You can't ever go near him again you two are no longer a couple!" Owen growls, before I can say anything Fitz comes running up.

"Muscles you better come see this," Fitz says with urgency and anxiety in his voice.

**Update Friday May 23****rd**** from right here and an appearance by the Bakers.**


	3. Out of the Pouring Rain

**Stohners, Hannah, Robert & SimGirl I finally answered your reviews, sorry it took so long.**

**Clowen nuts check out Christlove88's story "What Happens Next?" it is awesome!**

**Ch. 3 Out of the Pouring Rain**

**(OWEN)**

"Muscles you better come see this," Fitz calls just after I tell Clare she's not dating Eli anymore because the prick was hurting her.

"What's up?" I question turning to him but my voice growls because I'm still pissed.

"Just come on," Fitz says waving his hand and looking at Clare, Adam and Tris says, "you three better stay there."

"You two keep an eye on her, Freckles text your brother and Lone Star to gather the others and get back here," I command and he nods.

Adam gets out his phone and I follow Fitz down to the far edge of the park, into the woods that border the ravine and then I see it. Cam's body is lying under a tree, he's dead. His lips and skin are blue, his eyes open and totally lifeless. Something got to him in the middle of the night because he has some bite marks but I don't think that's how he died. His eyes are blood shot I think he was high; he's never been high before though so maybe it was just the cold night, at least I'm hoping.

"FUCK CAM WHAT THE HELL WHERE YOU DOING?! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU COME TO THE APARTMENTS LAST NIGHT?! WHY WOULD YOU STAY ALL NIGHT OUT HERE?! WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL?" I yell in anger because a young kid shouldn't die on the streets. Especially one of mine, I do everything I can to prevent that. "We're going to have to call the cops; I'll have to talk to them. Go back and get the others out of here, take them back to the apartments I'll meet you there when I'm done," I tell Fitz.

"You sure you want to talk to the cops by yourself?" Fitz asks.

"Yeah I can handle them, get the others out of here and don't tell Mouse what happened, or Trouble, Platinum or Dollar for that matter. Not until I get back but I don't want them to be involved in this," I tell him and Fitz nods running off.

I get out my phone and call 911 telling them where to find me at and that there's a dead kid here. They tell me cops are on their way and I wait for the sirens. I get a text from Drew that they're getting some lunch before they go back to the apartments and I'm glad everyone's going to eat now because I doubt they'll want to eat once they find out. It takes about ten minutes before the cops get back to me.

"Are you the one that called?" Asks the officer, his name plate says Turner.

"Yeah call me Muscles, this was Puck he was a friend," I tell Officer Turner

"Muscles? Yeah alright, what about him do you know his real name?" Officer Turner asks.

"Cam, Campbell but I don't know his last name," I respond as the other officer starts taking pictures of Cam's body.

"Do you know what happened?" Officer Turner questions.

"He got in a fight with one of the other kids and I told them both to take a walk and cool off. He didn't come back last night and we hadn't seen him all morning," I reply.

"So he's been missing over 12 hours?" Officer Turner queries making notes in his little notebook.

"Yeah like 18 or 20 hours maybe," I respond.

"Why didn't you report him missing?" Officer Turner inquires as two people in Coroner's jackets come and start picking up Cam's body.

"We live on the streets! I try and keep all my kids together in a group but they're kids they wander off and don't always come back. It's hard to know when someone is missing on the streets; even if they don't answer their phone they could be napping somewhere or blowing off steam!" I exclaim kind of growling but I'm angry that Cam died, angry that this officer is asking me questions when he should be finding out what happened to Cam and I was already angry at Eli for hurting Clare. All the anger is building and it's going to explode soon.

"Alright son calm down it was just a question," Officer Turner tells me.

"What happened to him, how did he die?" I demand.

"I don't know son we'll do what we can to find out, what about this kid he had the fight with do you think he could have hurt…what did you call him?"

"Puck his name is Puck and no way Dollar could have done this! They were competing over the same girl that was it but they wouldn't kill each other over her. Dollar did come back he was at the apartments in the evening when we got back," I tell him.

"Okay we'll look into it and the coroner will do an autopsy. We'll need to this other boy…uh Dollar was it? Also the girl that they were both fighting over," Officer Tuner says.

"No way are you talking to Dollar or Mouse, I just told you Dollar couldn't have done this and Mouse was with us the whole time. Anything you need to know you talk to me," I state firmly.

"Son we just want to talk to them, we're not accusing anybody of anything," he says trying to calm me down and be all authority like but that won't work with me.

"Don't call me son; I haven't been anyone's son in a while. You don't get it do you? We live on the streets, we don't trust cops, we don't trust no one but each other. Mouse barely utters a word anyway and Dollar doesn't trust anyone. Neither of them will tell you anything and if you try and make them talk they'll just run away. We live on the streets we know every dark corner, way to hide and quick escape route there is. You need to ask questions you can talk to me, now I gotta go find my own and tell them Puck is gone," I tell him mostly through clenched teeth and then turn around to leave.

"Hang on I need your number," Turner says.

I give him my number real quick and then start walking for the apartments. When I get back everyone is there hanging out in the living room and they all look at me when I come in.

"Where have you been? What's going on?" Bianca asks.

"Puck still isn't back I think we should be worried now," Tris comments.

"Puck isn't coming back, he's gone," I inform them.

"Gone? You mean he left?" Dollar inquires.

"No he's dead," I tell them and Maya gasps.

"Dead how?" Tris queries.

"I don't know and we may not find out, he may have been high and I don't know why he didn't come back last night," I reply.

Maya bursts into tears and runs up stairs, Miles gets up to follow her but Tris stops him.

"I'll take care of her," Tris says running after Maya.

"What'd the cops say?" Fitz questions.

"Nothing they don't know why he died yet and I don't want any of you talking to the cops if they need something they go through me," I tell them firmly and look at Clare holding her arm. "How's your wrist? I never got a good look at it," I comment going over to her and holding out my hand for her arm. She puts the back of her hand in my hand and I push her sleeve down to her elbow exposing not only the cut but another bruise. "He do that to?"

Clare nods while everyone else down here gets a good look at her arm.

"Shit!" Drew exclaims.

"Trouble what happened are you okay?" Fitz questions going to her side.

"Gloom, he's been hurting her," I inform them.

"That fucking prick I never liked him you're too good for him!" Dallas snarls.

"We should get bandages and get it cleaned," Bianca says sounding the voice of reason.

"Spikes you and Raven go to the drug store and get some antiseptic and bandages and whatever else. Trouble how many more are there?" I inquire while handing Drew some money.

"That's the only cut but there's more bruises," she admits.

"Show me," I assert. She bites her lip and shifts nervously so I know there are bruises she can't show without getting undressed. "Upstairs come on," I insist but I want to see everything Eli did so I know exactly what to kill him for.

Gently pulling Clare from her seat I get her up and take her to an empty bedroom upstairs. None of the doors lock of course but I lean against it so no one can come in. Clare stands over by the bed and takes off her hoodie; I see half a dozen bruises just on her arms and chest. Clare takes off her shirt and I see half a dozen more on her abdomen sides and back. Slipping on her shirt again she then takes off her shoes and pulls off her jeans where I see ten or so more bruises on her legs, mostly concentrated on her thighs. She lets me look for a few seconds and then she puts her jeans back on.

"There's a few more but I'd have to get naked," she tells me looking at her hands nervously and her cheeks red with shame.

"It's fine I get the picture but why the hell didn't you say anything? He's been hurting you this whole time and you've been hiding the bruises just to sleep in the motel?!"

"No not just for that, I like Eli and there was a security in it, I'm sorry I really didn't think it was that bad. Honestly Muscles I only got scared when he cut me," she apologizes.

"Nobody should be hurting you Trouble! Gloom was hitting and cutting you and you never said anything!" I growl slightly and she jumps a little but I'm seriously pissed about so much right now it's hard to keep my rage in.

"He didn't beat me," she responds sitting on the bed to get her shoes back on.

"What the hell do you mean he didn't beat you what are those bruises then?" I demand thinking she's just covering for him or trying to make excuses for him.

"He did them while we were having sex, he could be rough," she says quietly.

"COULD BE ROUGH? YOUR TORSO LOOKS LIKE A LEOPARD!" I yell and then take a deep breath to calm down slightly. "Did you want it rough? Did you even want to have sex with him?" I question her.

"No but I didn't stop him either," she responds. I hear in her voice that broken down tone that means she's so used to the abuse and mistreatment by other people that she thinks she's not worth anything else.

"I don't give a fuck he's dead and anyone else ever hurts you or even tries again then you tell me or one of the others right away," I assert and she nods. "Come on let's go back downstairs," I tell her putting an arm around her shoulders, "did you eat lunch?"

"We got chips and sodas from the corner market but no one was all that hungry," she replies.

"We'll get some dinner but people might not want to eat tonight," I remark just as we come down and join the others in the living room.

Clare sits on the sofa by Adam again and not seeing Maya or Tris I go back upstairs to find them. Since none of the doors have any locks I just open every closed door I see. Bengal is sleeping in one and doesn't even wake up when I come in. Two guys that sleep here sometimes are getting high in another; they can do whatever they want so long as they stay away from mine. I find Tris and Maya in the room at the end of the hall, the one they slept in last night. She's crying on his shoulder and Tris has his arm around her. I sit down next to Maya and rub her arm gently.

"It's my fault," Maya says quietly into Tristan's chest.

"No it wasn't Mouse, I don't know what happened to Puck but he should've come back here last night. I don't know what happened to Puck but it wasn't your fault," I assure her.

"I liked him…I'm going to miss him…people are always leaving," Maya wails between heavy sobs.

"I know Mouse but we'll never leave you," I assure her hugging her tightly.

She nods and sniffles on my chest, I just let her cry until we hear yelling from downstairs.

"YOU GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" It's Bruiser yelling and I take Maya from me to stand up. She wipes the rest of her tears and gets up along with Tris.

"YOU HEARD HIM GET THE FUCK OUT!" And that was Lone Star yelling.

"Gloom must be here which means I'm going to kill him now," I tell Tris and Maya running downstairs and they follow me.

When I get to the bottom of the stairs I see that I'm right and Gloom is here, he's looking at Clare who has a fresh bandage on her arm. Dallas, Fitz and Drew are all blocking his path to her however.

"She's my girlfriend you morons you can't keep me from her," Eli snarls.

"SHE'S NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND ANYMORE YOU SICK PRICK! YOU COVERED HER IN BRUISES AND CUT HER!" I roar and shatter a punch square on his face that breaks his nose and he falls back! This time Clare gasps but my anger can no longer be contained. "THIS IS YOUR OFFICIAL BREAK UP NOTICE AND YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!" I keep punching Eli as hard as I can until Clare stops me.

"Owen stop please, he's not even conscious anymore," Clare says with tears in her eyes and grabbing my arm before I can hit Eli again. I look at her, glare back at bloody unconscious Eli and stop myself from hitting him again.

"Leave him he can sleep it off, let's get out of here," I command everyone. Clare still has hold of my arm and I take her hand pulling her out, everyone else follows. We walk to the drug store and sit in our usual spot, Clare between me and Adam, Maya huddles between me and Tris. Drew and Bianca sit on the other side of Adam, Dallas and Fitz next to them and Miles next to Tris. "How's your arm?" I ask Clare after a few minutes.

"Raven and Spikes cleaned it and bandaged it well, kind of stings though," she tells me.

I nod but don't say anything I'm still pretty pissed and then my phone rings. I don't recognize the number but it's local and I'm pretty sure it's the cops. I get up and walk into the alley to answer so that Maya can't hear the conversation.

"Ya?"

"It's Officer Turner, the initial findings from the coroner are that your friend died of a heroine over dose," he tells me.

"That makes no sense Puck never did drugs before why would he do it now?" I say angrily but keep my voice low.

"I don't know but I've seen many kids on the streets turn to drugs, the drugs could have been tainted and the new kids don't know the difference. We're still waiting on the toxicology to come back but it looks like it was an accidental death," Officer Turner tells me.

"Yeah thanks," I reply hanging up and wondering why Cam would take drugs. I come out of the alley and see that Clare and Adam are gone. "Where are Trouble and Freckles?"

"She wanted to go back and check on Gloom we told her it was a bad idea but she was determined. So my brother took her to The Dot to distract her," Spikes informs me.

"Good she could use the distraction," I reply sitting down next to Maya again and putting my arm around her as she's crying again.

**(CLARE)**

"What's The Dot?" I ask Adam after we've been walking about a block.

"It's a little café near DeGrassi Community School, it's in Owen's old neighborhood we've been here a couple of times but we usually stick close to downtown," Adam informs me.

"I still think we should go back and check on Gloom, Muscles beat him pretty bad," I comment.

"Gloom deserved it and Muscles was already angry about losing Puck. What did Gloom do to you anyway?" Adam queries.

"Every night when he'd come back to the motel he'd want to have sex and he liked to be rough. He never really hit me or anything but he just sort of got carried away," I answer.

"Has he been doing it the whole time?" Adam questions in a worried voice and I nod. "How many bruises do you have?"

"I'm not sure, a lot mostly around my torso and thighs, a few on my arms but last night was the first time he cut me," I respond.

"And the last after what Muscles did to him," Adam comments and I bite my lip. "Gloom will be alright after laying low for a couple of nights and he deserved it Clare, he shouldn't have hurt you during sex or otherwise," Adam says just as we arrive at a little café with a sign above it that reads: The Dot.

Adam opens the door; we go in and walk to the counter, a tall skinny boy with blonde hair smiles at us. Adam orders us a chocolate shake and basket of fries; we sit at a table by the window and eat silently. While we we're eating the skies open up, it's just a little rain but by the time we leave it's pouring rain. It's coming down so hard we're soaked in less than a minute.

"We'll never make it back in this, come one the Bakers church is just a block away," Adam says having to talk really loud between the thunder, rain and wind.

He takes my hand and we start running, I can't see anything and have no idea where we're going but I trust Adam. After a bit we arrive at a hall attached to a church but I can't see the sign, Adam opens the doors and pulls me in. Now that we're inside I'm freezing and wish I wasn't soaked completely through. I look around and see a few tables all full of kids; at one end is a little table with bread, soup and vegetables.

"Come on we should try and dry off," Adam says pulling through a doorway and down a hall.

"Freckles good heaven's you're soaked to the bone and who's this?" A woman asks in a kind voice.

"Hi Mrs. Baker, we call her Trouble, you think we could dry off and wait here until the rain stops?" Adam asks the woman.

"Oh of course, come with me," Mrs. Baker says. We follow her into the church itself and she shows us to the washrooms. "Start getting your clothes off and I'll put them in the dryer, I'll be right back with something you can wear temporarily," Mrs. Baker tells us. I walk into the girls washroom and Adam into the boys, I begin getting undressed and pile the wet clothes on the sink, I take out my phone from my jeans and set it by my clothes. When I hear a knock on the door I hid in one of the stalls. "Trouble I brought you a robe, I'm sorry but I don't think we have anything else that will fit you well. I looked all through the donation bin and my daughter is tall and rail thin, it's right here on the counter for you and I'll put your clothes in the dryer."

Mrs. Baker leaves and I slowly open the stall door making sure she's gone. Assured that she is I go out and find a long velvety dark blue bathrobe. It covers me and it's warm and dry, Mrs. Baker also took my shoes and socks to put in the dryer so she brought me some warm socks. I put those on too and go out to find Adam waiting for me, his shoes were taken too and he's got the same socks I do. He's wearing grey sweat pants and a red sweatshirt; he raises his eyebrows when he sees me in the bathrobe.

"Mrs. Baker said she couldn't find anything else that would fit me, I think I'm shorter and curvier than her daughter," I comment.

"Yeah you definitely are, Becky is tall and thin as Mouse, thinner maybe," Adam says. "I called Owen and told him where were and that we were going to wait out the rain," Adam tells me as we start walking back to the hall. We enter and I get a few looks from guys for walking in wearing a bathrobe and socks. Feeling embarrassed I make sure the robe is closed as tightly as it can be and hid behind Adam a little. "Let's get some coffee it'll help warm us up," Adam says pulling me by the bathrobe sleeve to the table with the soup and bread that has a coffee machine and disposable cups at one end.

"Hi Freckles," grins a very perky tall thin strawberry blonde I deduce to be Becky Baker from Adam and her mom's descriptions.

"Hi Becky this is Trouble, Trouble Becky Baker, her father is the reverend here," Adam introduces us.

"Hi it's nice to meet you, wow I love your eyes, why are you wearing Luke's bathrobe? Oh you must have come in from the rain; well it looks better on you anyway. I'm sure Luke will agree too, mom must have put your clothes in the dryer. Were you guys hungry were you going to get some soup?" Becky says without taking a breath and talks so quickly it takes a minute for everything she said to enter my brain.

"Umm it's nice to meet you too, yes our clothes are in the dryer, your mom said she couldn't find anything else that would fit me. Who's Luke?" I question after sorting out everything she said.

"Luke's my brother, he's eleven months older than me, we're really close, Adam is wearing his sweatshirt," Becky explains.

"We just wanted some coffee to warm up a little," Adam informs her.

"Oh don't drink that awful coffee you two should come into the house I'll make you some cocoa," Becky offers. Before we can say anything she comes around the table linking her arms with ours and pulls us away. She leads us down the hall and down another then we run under a carport to the back of the house and Becky opens the door. "Oh your socks are all soaked now, take them off and leave them out here. I'll get you some others," Becky says before we go inside. Adam and I take off our socks and go in the house, it's a very nice house, it reminds me a lot of my old house in Scarborough. "Make yourselves comfortable on the sofa I'll be right back," Becky says and then skips upstairs.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to be in here?" I ask Adam following him to the sofa.

"Yeah I know Becky pretty well, Spikes and I came here a lot when we were first on the streets, they don't let many people in their house but they know Muscles and the rest of us well enough they let us in. They have cots in a couple of big rooms where we sleep sometimes," Adam tells me and I remember him mentioning so before.

"Here they're my socks but they should fit you both," Becky says handing me a pair of purple socks and Adam a pair of white socks, "these are Luke's."

Adam takes Luke's socks and puts them on while Becky disappears again. I still feel like I shouldn't be here but when Becky comes back with a tray that has three mugs on it and a big smile I finally settle in.

"Smells great Becky," Adam smiles taking his mug from her.

"Thanks I added cinnamon," she tells us handing me a mug and sitting next to Adam.

Becky turns on the TV and we watch while sipping our cocoa, it's really good and warms me up and almost makes me have to pee when I'm done. Adam too since he gets up and goes into the visible washroom down the hall, I really have to pee so I look at Becky.

"Is there another washroom?"

"Oh sure on the second floor," Becky tells me with a smile, I think she's the cheeriest person I've ever met.

I smile at her and go upstairs to the second floor, guess I should have asked what door because I find five closed doors in the hall. I'm assuming the one at the end of the hall is the master so I open the first door on the right and find a linen closet; the door next to it is very obviously Becky's room. So I go across the hall and open that door to find a half dressed boy with blond hair.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry I was just looking for the washroom," I apologize covering my eyes.

**Update Thursday June 19****th**** starting from right here and Luke's reaction. And no he's not like their stupid character twisting in the show he won't rape her if that's what you're worried about.**


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